Hall of Heroes Civil War
The Hall of Heroes Civil War was a two-year conflict that ultimately led to the collapse of The Hall of Heroes. It occurred between the years 590 BDW and 588 BDW. Kakariko Village, a rival domain, also fell during this period. The Labyrinth endured heavy casualities but survived into the next age. Background Verden was once a land of corruption. In the year 790 BDW, discontent knights left the services of their respective countries and began an exodus to the mountains north of Sornaiid. They established a grand hall and took a vow to uphold peace and justice. This Hall of Heroes became the land's moral compass. Over the next several centuries, corruption dwindled and the nations of Verden began to prosper. Increased trade and wealthier peasants tempted the Labyrinth to become more aggressive in their efforts to prey on civilian populations. Naturally, Hall knights rushed to respond to every raid that the Labyrinth conducted, and it didn't take long for the two domains to clash openly in the fields of Verden. They were bitter rivals on almost all levels, and the violence of the feud prompted both sides to constantly 'up the ante' in order to get revenge for the latest attacks. The seemingly endless war began to effect morale, and certain Hall knights began to question the effectiveness of their stance as a viligant observer. Around the year 600 BDW, a movement began in the Hall of Heroes to 'liberate' and assume control of the nations of Verden in order to do away with their longstanding corruption and to more effectively wage war on the Labyrinth. This sparked furious debates, some so severe that close friendships were ruined, on the nature of the Hall. Many knights felt that territorial expansion would turn them into the monsters they were trying to defeat, as more power would invite moral decay and a thirst for even greater influence. The advocates of the movement felt that the nations of Verden were doing nothing to prevent the Labyrinth from killing the innocent and could no longer be trusted to serve the best interest of the people - a new leader would be necessary to ensure peace. The ferocity of these debates began to interfere with the functioning of the Hall, with military commanders and knights gathering into two factions. Members of one faction, fearing that the other would rise up and attempt to take full control, began to deny their opposing brethren supplies and aid. Rise of Jericho Sir Jericho, a lifelong warrior with tremendous experience, was elected as the last offical lead knight of the Hall of Heroes in the year 593 BDW. For the first three years of his career, Jericho acted to resolve the differences between the two factions of his domain. He was a calm mediator that demanded respect from his men. His initial victories over the Labyrinth were celebrated and, for a time, strengthened the bond between all active knights. Having been blessed with great freedom from the genuine monarchs of the Hall, Jericho became the domain's de facto ruler. The achievements of these three years were undone with a series of devastating Labyrinth attacks, including the slaughterfest known as the Siege of Aydn's Keep, which once again started the Hall's internal disputes. Jericho, now bitter due to the loss of so many men, began to obsess over the Labyrinth's destruction. Rather than mediate and mend the rift between the Hall knights, Jericho fully backed the expansionist faction. This upset the two monarchs of the Hall, who gave him an order to not play into the hands of those who would see the Hall torn apart from within. Jericho ignored their wishes and actively attempted to force the guardian faction into loyal submission. Discreet assassinations of guardian faction leaders, often made to look as if they'd been killed in battle, began to display the inner turmoil of the domain. Open Civil War Open civil war began in the year 590 BDW. Expansionist knights began to seize supplies and weaponry from their guardian peers, who took action to protect their goods. While deaths occurred during these supply 'raids,' the knights of the Hall were initially hestitant to kill their former brethren and many battles were decided by knocking out the opposition or forcing them to retreat. A cadre of knights from the guardian faction attempted to apprehend Jericho and his subordinates on the grounds that they were unfit for leadership, but were defeated in battle and driven from the Hall's territories. When Jericho discovered that the rulers of the Hall were responsible for the attempt, Jericho went into a state of rebellion. He planned to remove the old dynasty and take the throne for himself as the first ruler of a new Hall dynasty. In order to win the support of the people, however, Jericho would first have to do away with their biggest threat - the Labyrinth. By doing this, he would become an unrivaled folk hero and have almost full support by the knights. A direct attack on the Labyrinth had not been attempted on a large scale in all of history. Jericho, against the orders of his king and queen, marched a large number of troops south to take on the Labyrinth on the enemy's home ground. Fearing the potential loss of so many knights, the monarchs of the Hall sent reinforcements to follow Jericho a few days later. The subsequent battle, known as Jericho's Invasion, had lasting effects on Verden. When all was said and done, Jericho lay dead, Kakariko Village was destroyed, and the Labyrinth, although still intact, suffered heavy casualties and was forced into the underground for decades to come. The Hall was essentially the last domain left standing - in theory. However, with the loss of Jericho, leadership was up in the air. The two factions began to rip each other apart in attempt to win total control over the Hall of Heroes. The monarchs fled from the Hall as civil fighting took place near the capital. Lack of guidance and authority resulted in the total collapse of the Hall of Heroes in the year 588 BDW. No mediation was enough to restore the ruined domain. Aftermath The survivors of the civil war left their homeland and joined one of the new domains to rise after Kakariko's fall and the Hall's collapse. Most members of the guardian faction helped settle The Chamber of Sages, a peaceful domain that remained isolationist for many years. Most of the expansionist knights, who had a greater number of survivors, founded The Desert of Mystery. The Desert of Mystery would become a very militaristic domain that continually clashed with the restored Labyrinth for years to come. The ruins of The Hall of Heroes, along with the ruins of Aydn's Keep and other fortifications, can still be found in the northern regions of Verden. Category:History: Wars